Winkler Elastic Foundation Research Articles

Elastostatic Analysis of the Spatial FGM Structures

Abstract In this contribution, results of elastostatic analysis of spatial composite beam structures are presented using our new beam finite element of double symmetric cross-section made of a Functionally Graded Material (FGM). Material properties of the real beams vary continuously in the longitudinal direction while variation with respect to the transversal and lateral directions is assumed to be symmetric in a continuous or discontinuous manner. Continuously longitudinal varying spatial Winkler elastic foundations (except the torsional foundation) and the effect of axial and shear forces are considered as well. Homogenization of spatially varying material properties to effective quantities with a longitudinal variation is done by the multilayer method (MLM). For the homogenized beam finite element the local stiffness matrix is established by means of the transfer matrix method. By the conventional finite element procedure, the global element stiffness matrix and the global system of equation for the beam structure are established for calculation of the global displacement vector. The secondary variables (internal forces and moments) are then calculated by means of the transfer relations on the real beams. Further, the mechanical stress in the real beams are calculated. Finally, the numerical experiments are carried out concerning the elastic-static analysis of the single FGM beams and beam structures in order to show the possibilities of our approach.

Research and application of schemes for constructing concrete pillars in large section finishing cut in backfill coal mining

Based on the technology of controlling surrounding rock deformation by constructing concrete pillars in large section finishing cut in backfill coal mining, the characteristics of vertical stress on concrete pillars and main factors influencing pillar stability are analyzed. By building a Winkler elastic foundation mechanical model for the support system constituted of coal pillar, backfill body and concrete pillars, mechanical calculation on stability of concrete pillar is carried out to evaluate the pillar stability and safety. Seven numeral models in three schemes with different pillar sizes, inter-row distances and compression ratios at the stopes were analyzed through numerical simulation according to width reduction principle. The practice of finishing cut at III644 workface at Yangzhuang coal mine shows that: when the actual compression ratio is 86.5%, construction size inside the finishing cut is 2000mm×2000mm and the interval between concrete pillars is 2000mm×2000mm, the pillars can be stable with the maximum movement of two sides of each pillar being only 83mm and 54mm, which achieves the expected effect.

Analysis of a gradient-elastic beam on Winkler foundation and applications to nano-structure modelling

Abstract An equation of motion governing the response of a first strain gradient beam, including the effect of a Winkler elastic foundation, is derived from the Hamilton–Lagrange principle. The model is based on Mindlin's gradient elasticity theory, while the Euler-Bernoulli assumption for slender beams is adopted. Higher-continuity Hermite Finite Elements are presented for the numerical solution of related Initial-Boundary Value (IBV) problems. In the static case an analytical solution is derived and the convergence characteristics of the proposed Finite Element formulation are validated against the exact response of the configuration. Several examples are presented using “equivalent beam” data for Carbon Nanotubes (CNT's) and the effect on the Winkler foundation is studied. Finally, applicability of the derived model for the simulation of micro-structures, as for example CNT's or Microtubules, is discussed.

Static Analysis for Exact Vibration Analysis of Clamped Plates

Presented herein is a new method for the analysis of plates with clamped edges. The solutions for the natural frequencies of the plates are found using static analysis. The starting are the equations of motion of an isotropic rectangular plate supported on Winkler elastic foundation, with a positive or negative value. In either case, one can solve the displacements of such a plate under a given concentrated load. This deflection will be infinite if the plate losses its stiffness, or in other words, the generalized foundation is causing the plate to be unstable. The solution for the vibration frequencies of the plate is equivalent to finding the values of the negative elastic foundation that will yield infinite deflection under a point load on the plate. The solution for a clamped plate is decomposed as the sum of three cases of plates resting on elastic foundation: simply supported plate with a concentrated load, and two cases of distributed moments along opposite edges. The solution for simply supported plates with elastic foundation is found using Navier's method. For zero force, the vibration frequencies are found up to the desired accuracy by careful calculations at the neighborhood of the roots.

Investigation of contact pressure and influence function model for soft wheel polishing.

The tool influence function (TIF) is critical for calculating the dwell-time map to improve form accuracy. We present the TIF for the process of computer-controlled polishing with a soft polishing wheel. In this paper, the static TIF was developed based on the Preston equation. The pressure distribution was verified by the real removal spot section profiles. According to the experiment measurements, the pressure distribution simulated by Hertz contact theory was much larger than the real contact pressure. The simulated pressure distribution, which was modeled by the Winkler elastic foundation for a soft polishing wheel, matched the real contact pressure. A series of experiments was conducted to obtain the removal spot statistical properties for validating the relationship between material removal and processing time and contact pressure and relative velocity, along with calculating the fitted parameters to establish the TIF. The developed TIF predicted the removal character for the studied soft wheel polishing.

Bending analysis of FG microbeams resting on Winkler elastic foundation via strain gradient elasticity

In this study, bending response of non-homogenous microbeams embedded in an elastic medium is investigated based on modified strain gradient elasticity theory in conjunctions with various beam theories. The governing differential equations and related boundary conditions are derived with the aid of minimum total potential energy principle. Elastic medium is modeled by Winkler foundation model. Bending problem of simply supported microbeams made of functionally graded materials is solved by Navier’s solution procedure. A detailed parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of the material length scale parameters-to-thickness ratio l/h, material property gradient index k, slenderness ratio L/h, Winkler modulus kw and shear correction factor on the bending behavior of embedded functionally graded microbeams.

Flexure of Thick Plates Resting on Elastic Foundation Using Two-Variable Refined Plate Theory

AbstractThe two-variable refined plate theory is used in this paper for the analysis of thick plates resting on elastic foundation. This theory contains only two unknown parameters and predicts parabolic variation of transverse shear stresses. It satisfies the zero traction on the plate surfaces without using shear correction factor. Using the principle of minimum potential energy, the governing equations for simply supported rectangular plates resting on Winkler elastic foundation are obtained. The Navier method is adopted for solution of obtained coupled governing equations, and several benchmark problems under various loading conditions are solved by present theory. The comparison of obtained results with other common theories shows the excellent efficiency of this theory in modeling thick plates resting on elastic foundation. Also, the effect of foundation modulus, plate thickness and type of loading are studied and the results show that the deflections are decreased by increasing the foundation modulus and plate thickness

An improved solution for beam on elastic foundation using quintic displacement functions

The theory of beam on elastic foundation is a simple and popular analytic approach for computing the response of laterally loaded piles. For a laterally loaded pile with constant subgrade reaction coefficient, an analytical solution can be easily deduced based on the theory of beam on elastic foundation when the load distribution and boundary condition are simple. However, when the subgrade reaction coefficient increases linearly with the depth or when the constraint condition is complex, an approximate solution can only be obtained by numerical method. At present, the node-spring simulation method and the modifying stiffness matrix method are two main solution methods for beam on elastic foundation with a nonuniform distribution of subgrade reaction coefficient, but a large number of elements are necessary for obtaining a sufficient calculation accuracy. Based on the Winkler elastic foundation model, an improved Finite Element (FE) method for the laterally loaded pile on an elastic foundation with a linearly distributed modulus of the subgrade reaction is proposed. A quintic displacement function is proposed as an approximate solution, and the weighted residual method is used for solving differential equations. The corresponding element stiffness matrix and nodal force vector are derived, and a more accurate nodal displacement, element internal force and displacement distribution can then be obtained by employing fewer elements. Three beams on elastic foundations under different boundaries and loading conditions are taken as typical examples to compare the difference of the calculation accuracy between the improved method and the node-spring simulation method. A laterally loaded pile is analyzed by the improved method, and the numerical results show that two elements for one soil layer can provide a sufficient calculation accuracy.

Geometrically nonlinear vibrations of beams supported by a nonlinear elastic foundation with variable discontinuity

Geometrically nonlinear vibrations of a Timoshenko beam resting on a nonlinear Winkler and Pasternak elastic foundation with variable discontinuity are investigated in this paper. A p-version finite element method is developed for geometric nonlinear vibrations of a shear deformable beam resting on a nonlinear foundation with discontinuity. The elastic foundation has cubic nonlinearity with the shearing layer. In the study the p-element which comes from the use of explored special displacement shape functions for damaged beams is used and applied to a model with nonlinear foundation. The novelty of the present study lies in the easy generalisation of the approach of natural frequencies, general mode shapes (transverse and rotations of cross sections), and maximal deflections in nonlinear steady state vibrations of the shear deformable beam for any size and location of discontinuity of the nonlinear elastic support. A new set of nonlinear partial differential equations is developed, and they are solved in the time domain using the Newmark method for obtaining the amplitudes and deformed shapes of a beam in the steady state forced vibration regime. The present work consists of the comparison of the results with various stiffnesses of nonlinear elastic supports of the Winkler and Pasternak type.

Dynamics Analysis of Spatial Multibody System With Spherical Joint Wear

The influence of the spherical joint with clearance caused by wear on the dynamics performance of spatial multibody system is predicted based on the Archard's wear model and equations of motion of multibody systems. First, the function of contact deformation and load acting on the spherical joint with clearance is derived based on the improved Winkler elastic foundation model and Hertz quadratic pressure distribution assumption. On this basis, considering the influence of clearance size and wear state on the contact stiffness between spherical joint elements, an improved contact force model is proposed by Lankarani–Nikravesh contact force model and improved stiffness coefficient that is the slope of the function of contact deformation and load. Second, due to the complexity for that wear impacts on the surface topography of contact bodies, an approximate calculation method of contact area with respect to the clearance spherical joint is provided for simplifying the computational process of contact pressure in the Archard's wear model. Subsequently, the contact pressure between contact bodies is calculated by the improved contact force model and approximate contact area (ICFM–ACA), which is verified via finite element method (FEM). Moreover, the dynamics model of spatial four bar mechanism considering spherical joint with clearance caused by wear is formulated using equations of motion of multibody systems. Finally, the wear depth of spherical joint with clearance is predicted via two different kinds of contact pressure based on the Archard's wear model (one is from the ICFM–ACA and the other is from FEM), respectively. The numerical simulation results show that the improved contact force model and proposed approximate contact area are correctness and validity for predicting wear in the spherical joint with clearance. Simultaneously, the effect of the spherical joint with clearance caused by wear on the dynamics performance of spatial four bar mechanism is analyzed.

A simple shear deformation theory based on neutral surface position for functionally graded plates resting on Pasternak elastic foundations

In this work, a novel simple first-order shear deformation plate theory based on neutral surface position is developed for bending and free vibration analysis of functionally graded plates and supported by either Winkler or Pasternak elastic foundations. By dividing the transverse displacement into bending and shear parts, the number of unknowns and governing equations of the present theory is reduced, and hence, makes it simple to use. The governing equations are derived by employing the Hamilton\'s principle and the physical neutral surface concept. There is no stretching–bending coupling effect in the neutral surface-based formulation, and consequently, the governing equations and boundary conditions of functionally graded plates based on neutral surface have the simple forms as those of isotropic plates. Numerical results of present theory are compared with results of the traditional first-order and the other higher-order theories reported in the literature. It can be concluded that the proposed theory is accurate and simple in solving the static bending and free vibration behaviors of functionally graded plates.

Free vibration analysis of thick plates resting on Winkler elastic foundation

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of various parameters such as the aspect ratio, subgrade reaction modulus and thickness/span ratio on the frequency parameters of thick plates resting on Winkler-type elastic foundations. For this purpose, 4-noded (PBQ4) and 8-noded (PBQ8) Mindlin plate elements are adopted for the analysis using Winkler foundation model. Two different integration rules, namely the full integration (FI) and the selective reduced integration (SRI) techniques, are used to obtain stiffness matrix of plates. The results obtained in this study are compared with the results that are obtained by SAP2000 structural analysis software.

A Study of Dynamic Instability for Sigmoid Functionally Graded Material Plates on Elastic Foundation

This article presents the dynamic instability response of sigmoid functionally graded material plates on elastic foundation using the higher-order shear deformation theory. The higher-order shear deformation theory has ability to capture the quadratic variation of shear strain and consequently shear stress through the plate thickness. The governing equations are then written in the form of Mathieu-Hill equations and then Bolotin`s method is employed to determine the instability regions. The boundaries of the instability regions are represented in the dynamic load and excitation frequency plane. The results of dynamic instability analysis of sigmoid functionally graded material plate are presented using the Navier`s procedure to illustrate the effect of elastic foundation parameter on dynamic response. The relations between Winkler and Pasternak elastic foundation parameter are discussed by numerical results. Also, the effects of static load factor, power-law index and side-to-thickness ratio on dynamic instability analysis are investigated and discussed. In order to validate the present solutions, the reference solutions are used and discussed. The theoretical development as well as numerical solutions presented herein should serve as reference for the dynamic instability study of S-FGM plates.

Vibration of plate on foundation with four edges free by finite cosine integral transform method

The analytical solutions for the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the rectangular plate on foundation with four edges free is presented by using the finite cosine integral transform method. In the analysis procedure, the classical Kirchhoff rectangular plate is considered and the foundation is modelled as the Winkler elastic foundation. Because only are the basic dynamic elasticity equations of the thin plate on elastic foundation adopted, it is not need prior to select the deformation function arbitrarily. Therefore, the solution developed by present paper is reasonable and theoretical. In order to illuminate the correction of formulations, the numerical results are also presented to comparing with that of the other references.

Thermo-mechanical buckling behavior of functionally graded microbeams embedded in elastic medium

Thermo-mechanical size-dependent buckling analysis of embedded functionally graded (FG) microbeams is performed based on sinusoidal shear deformation beam and modified couple stress theories. It is assumed that material properties vary smoothly and continuously throughout the thickness. Winkler elastic foundation model is used to simulate the interaction between FG microbeam and elastic medium. The governing equations and corresponding boundary conditions are obtained with the aid of minimum total potential energy principle. The buckling characteristics of simply supported embedded FG microbeams in thermal environment are investigated. The obtained results are compared with the results of simple beam theory with no shear deformation effects and classical theory. Influences of thickness-to-material length scale parameter ratio, material property gradient index, slenderness ratio, temperature change and Winkler parameter on critical buckling loads of embedded FG microbeams are discussed in detail.

Free vibration analysis of stepped rectangular plates resting on non-homogeneous elastic foundations

Abstract A Half Boundary Method (HBM) is proposed for analyzing the free vibration problem of rectangular plates with stepped thickness resting on non-homogeneous elastic foundations. The unknown quantities of the method exist only on half of the boundary. The non-homogeneous elastic foundation discussed here consists of two-segment elastic Winkler foundation. The fundamental differential equations are established for the bending problem of the plate on elastic foundations. The Green function, which is obtained by transforming these differential equations into integral equations and using numerical integration, is used to establish the characteristic equation of the free vibration. The effects of the modulus of the foundation, the stepped thickness and aspect ratio on the frequency parameters are considered. By comparing the present numerical results with those previously published, the efficiency and accuracy of the present method are investigated.

Response to Concentrated Moving Masses of Elastically Supported Rectangular Plates Resting on Winkler Elastic Foundation

Abstract The dynamic response to moving concentrated masses of elastically supported rectangular plates resting on Winkler elastic foundation is investigated in this work. This problem, involving non-classical boundary conditions, is solved and illustrated with two common examples often encountered in engineering practice. Analysis of the closed form solutions shows that, for the same natural frequency (i) the response amplitude for the moving mass problem is greater than that one of the moving force problem for fixed Rotatory inertia correction factor R0 and foundation modulus F0, (ii) The critical speed for the moving mass problem is smaller than that for the moving force problem and so resonance is reached earlier in the former. The numerical results in plotted curves show that, for the elastically supported plate, as the value of R0 increases, the response amplitudes of the plate decrease and that, for fixed value of R0, the displacements of the plate decrease as F0 increases. The results also show that for fixed R0 and F0, the transverse deflections of the plates under the actions of moving masses are higher than those when only the force effects of the moving load are considered. Hence, the moving force solution is not a save approximation to the moving mass problem. Also, as the mass ratio Γ approaches zero, the response amplitude of the moving mass problem approaches that one of the moving force problem of the elastically supported rectangular plate resting on constant Winkler elastic foundation.

A sound and efficient measure of joint congruence.

In the medical world, the term "congruence" is used to describe by visual inspection how the articular surfaces mate each other, evaluating the joint capability to distribute an applied load from a purely geometrical perspective. Congruence is commonly employed for assessing articular physiology and for the comparison between normal and pathological states. A measure of it would thus represent a valuable clinical tool. Several approaches for the quantification of joint congruence have been proposed in the biomechanical literature, differing on how the articular contact is modeled. This makes it difficult to compare different measures. In particular, in previous articles a congruence measure has been presented which proved to be efficient and suitable for the clinical practice, but it was still empirically defined. This article aims at providing a sound theoretical support to this congruence measure by means of the Winkler elastic foundation contact model which, with respect to others, has the advantage to hold also for highly conforming surfaces as most of the human articulations are. First, the geometrical relation between the applied load and the resulting peak of pressure is analytically derived from the elastic foundation contact model, providing a theoretically sound approach to the definition of a congruence measure. Then, the capability of congruence measure to capture the same geometrical relation is shown. Finally, the reliability of congruence measure is discussed.

Non-Linear Analysis of a FGM Cantilever Beam Supported on a Winkler Elastic Foundation

In the present study, nonlinear bending problem of functionally graded material (FGM) cantilever beams resting on a Winkler elastic foundation under distributed load are discussed. Based on the large deformation theory and considering the axial extension of the beam, the equilibrium equations with geometric nonlinearity of FGM beams subjected to distributed load are established. In the analysis, it is assumed that the material properties of the beam vary continuously as a power function of the thickness. By using shooting method, the nonlinear boundary-value problem is numerically solved as well as the non-linear bending characteristic curves of the deformed beam versus the load are presented. The effects of material gradient property and foundation stiffness parameter on the bending deformation of the beam are discussed in detail.

FREE VIBRATION OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADED THIN RECTANGULAR PLATES RESTING ON WINKLER ELASTIC FOUNDATION WITH GENERAL BOUNDARY CONDITIONS USING RAYLEIGH–RITZ METHOD

In this paper, free vibration of functionally graded (FG) rectangular plates subject to different sets of boundary conditions within the framework of classical plate theory is investigated. Rayleigh–Ritz method is used to obtain the generalized eigenvalue problem. Trial functions denoting the displacement components are expressed in simple algebraic polynomial forms which can handle any sets of boundary conditions. Material properties of the FG plate are assumed to vary continuously in the thickness direction of the constituents according to power-law form. The objective is to study the effects of constituent volume fractions, aspect ratios and power-law indices on the natural frequencies. New results for frequency parameters are incorporated after performing a test of convergence. Comparison with the results from the existing literature are provided for validation in special cases. Three-dimensional mode shapes are presented for FG square plates having various boundary conditions at the edges for different power-law indices. The present investigation also involves the rectangular FG plate to lay on a uniform Winkler elastic foundation. New results for the eigenfrequencies associated with foundation parameters are also reported here with the validation in special cases after checking a convergence pattern.